Big News: The Alley Way Stamps

I have just recently discovered The Alley Way Stamps (TAWS).  They are fun and funky, wild and crazy, retro-rad stamp company!!

And, amazingly, they discovered me too!!  They have asked me to be on their design team!!!  


After I picked myself up off the floor, I emailed right back, "Really??  Have you looked at my blog??  Do you see what kind of cards that I make?  Have you looked at my photo and realized I am slightly(?) over middle-aged?  I don't do fun, funky, wild, crazy and retro rad cards."  They assured me that they knew my work and wanted my style represented in their stamps.  


So...I'm on the team!!!

Check out the these fun samples that I put together for this announcement!!



Something that I find very fun about TAWS stamps is that the sentiments come in individual words so you can put together your own fun sentiments.  I picked the words and then blocked them together into the square shape so it fit the card!
The TAWS blog is FULL of fun samples and creative sentiments!
Check out this Christmas sample - don't you love his expression!

The picture isn't great - but check out his nose!!  What a perfect sentiment!


I put this card together last week - I call it Big Hugs from Big Tweet!!


You'll definitely be seeing much, much more TAWS on my blog!!  I already have and am happily playing with the new stamps that are coming out for August.  Stay tuned!!!
Bee-Cause You're Sweet

• Stamps: The Alley Way Stamp Priceless Joy (the bee), Jibber Jabber ("You" - I cut "For You" apart), Chatterbox ("bee-cause", "are" and "so"), Mad Gab ("sweet")
• Paper: Stampin' Up Old Olive CS, Razzleberry CS and dsp
• Ink: Stampin' Up Old Olive

You Light Up My Life

• Stamps: The Alley Way Stamps Fa-La-La
• Paper: Stampin' Up Candy Cane Christmas, Garden Green, Poppy Parade, Baja Breeze
• Ink: Memento black and copics
• Accessories: Spellbinders Fancy Tags One (it's actually a sideways tag on which you put a sentiment, but I used it sideways as a little flourish), Cuttlebug embossing folder, Ranger Glossy Accents with Martha Stewart Fine Crystal Glitter sprinkled on before it dried
• Challenge: I used the sketch from Freshly Made Sketches

Big Hugs from Big Tweet - previously published with details here

Paramedics and Graduation???

Recently, I was browsing As You Wish Designs digi stamp (and Silhouette Cutting file) store.  I found a great sentiment set - I used one here - and I also purchased an ATC set.  I don't do ATC's but the bright colors drew me in - and THEN...I saw this image that I HAD to use for a friend's son's graduation. Isn't this perfect for just about any 18-year old boy???



I used this week's sketch from retrosketches - it perfectly shows off the image!!  And the little squigglies on top of the main panel of the sketch, gave me the idea for the notebook edge on the strip - thanks retrosketch ladies!

I definitely have some other As You Wish images bookmarked to play with!  And, if I had a Silhouette Cameo, I would be doing some cutting...hint..hint...(Yes, my husband sometimes reads my blog!)

• Stamps: As You Wish Designs digi, Papertrey Ink Tiny Tags sentiment
• Paper: Stampin' Up Natural Composition and black, Papertrey Ink Blueberry Sky and Soft Stone
• Ink: black
• Accessories: My Favorite Things Notebook Edge die, Stampin' Up Jewelry Tag punch, star brad and twine

CASology Cue Card: Sun

This is my second post today AND

the second brand new challenge!

Another brand new challenge is CASology.  Anything with "CAS" in it makes me happy!!  The idea behind CASology is that each Tuesday, they supply a cue card with a single word.  That word is your inspiration.  This week's word is...

The people behind CASology explain that sun is simply an inspiration- you could go with flip-flops or sunglasses or any number of sun-related directions.  I didn't venture far - - here's my sun!!

In fairness - I JUST picked up the MFT sun die.  And I just got the PTI set Hello Sunshine - so I obviously wasn't venturing far from a plain old sun!!
I am really looking forward to this challenge - it's different from others with their single word cue!!

• Stamps: Papertrey Ink Hello Sunshine
• Paper: Papertrey Ink Summer Shine CS and dsp, Stampin' Up Baja Breeze
• Ink: Stampin' Up Baja Breeze
• Accessories: My Favorite Things sun die, Papertrey Ink cloud die and impression plate (on the cloud), misc heart punch, Martha Stewart fine crystal glitter

Cloud9 with WPlus9

There's a new monthly challenge using one of my favorite stamp companies.  The challenge is the Cloud9 Blog Hop.  The company is WPlus9.  I have a decent collection of WPlus9 stamps and dies and my wish list is huge.  The Cloud9 challenge is an inspiration photo...

I pulled the texture of the grass skirt and the colors to create this cheerful little card...

• Stamps: WPlus9 Woodgrain Silhouettes (the circles) and Heartfelt Mix (the sentiment)
• Paper: Stampin' Up Poppy Parade, Daffodil Delight, Pumpkin Pie, Tempting Turquoise, Confetti Tan
• Ink: Distress Ink: Antique Linen
• Accessories: WPlus9 Folk Art Floral Dies and Hearts and Clouds Dies

Virtual Stamp Party: Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps

This is my second Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps post today.

It's just a short scroll down for the new release blog hop!

In honor of Sweet 'n Sassy's new release, we hosting an all day Virtual Stamp Party in the Sweet 'n Sassy forum at splitcoaststampers.  It's a day full of challenges and prizes!

I am hosting the second challenge of the day - it's a color challenge!!

These colors are perfect for bright summer scenes!!  I got to preview the new release, Dream Big and I used these colors with some picnic plaid paper...

I hope you are inspired by these colors - pop over to the Virtual Stamp Party and check out the challenges.  Then join in - there are lots of prizes!!!

• Stamps: Sweet 'n Sassy Dream Big
• Paper: Stampin' Up Calypso Coral, Old Olive, Baja Breeze, Domestic Goddess and Patio Party dsp
• Ink: Memento Black and copics
• Accessories:   EK Success border punch, leaf punch (no name on it), EK Success Butterfly punch, Stampin' Up small oval, Nestabilities circle dies

I used the current Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge for my inspiration!

It's New Release Day at Sweet 'n Sassy!!

It's the most wonderful time of the month...new release day at Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps!!!

This month's new release is what I love about Sweet 'n Sassy...there is a mix of classic, Christian and fun.  I got a little of both in my package to preview!!

The first stamp set is a classic Christian set.  Although you don't see the stamp on the outside of my card - the sentiment that inspired this card is the verse from the hymn "It Is Well"...When peace like a river attendeth my way..."




The bridge is silver embossed with a few tiny sparkles for the feeling of the sun shining on the water.  Such a classic and so very peaceful image!

Then for my second card, I stretched my comfort zone...can you hear me taking a big leap???  I already had my stash of embossing powders out and when I am embossing I try to do a number of cards because no matter how hard that I try I MAKE A MESS!!  I have to strip everything off my desk and scrub in every nook and cranny - so I might as well make it worth the time.

I also just got a very unique Washi tape - it's almost neon.

I put it all together for this...




Doesn't that image work perfectly with all the gold and neon???  It's such a sweet and simple image, it can be used in so many ways.  Sweet 'n Sassy is celebrating their release all day long with challenges in the Sweet 'n Sassy forum on Splitcoaststampers.  I'm hosting a color challenge at noon EST and for my sample, I use this same stamp in a very traditional way!!!

My card recipes are at the very bottom of this post.

The next person on the hop is Cathy McCauley. 

Click on this badge for full details on all of the fun and all of the challenges with Sweet 'n Sassy!

Other fun details:

• The full release is available NOW in the Sweet 'n Sassy store.  
• There is a free stamp set with a $50 purchase!
• There are SO many prizes this month...I have lost track!!  Definitely comment as you are hopping, because the full release is up for grabs - get your comments in by Friday the 13th at midnight EST.  Taylor is giving away stamps for commenting on her blog and another set on Splitcoaststampers.  There are also prizes up for grabs for playing along with the challenges.  

In case you get lost - here's the list of the the design team:

Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps

Bridget Finlay

Taylor Usry

Jennie Harper

Kim Singdahlsen <==You Are Here

Cathy McCauley

Jessica Fick

Giovana Smith

Mary Faus

Kim Schofield

Dina Kowal

Monika Davis

Korin Sutherland 

• Stamps: Sweet 'n Sassy Bridge of Hope
• Paper: Stampin' Up Blush Blossom, Brushed gold from Michaels
• Ink: Stampin' Up Basic Gray, Versamark
• Accessories: Spellbinders tag, Fiskars small corner rounder, silver cord and detailed silver embossing ink
• Challenges: The Play Date Cafe - I almost didn't acknowledge this challenge because the photo of my card looks distinctly copper and pink - but the paper REALLY was Brushed Gold.  Unfortunately, I delivered the card at church this morning, so I do not have it to take another picture!  I still wanted to credit Play Date Cafe, because I was having a total mental block on this card until I saw this color challenge!!

• Stamps: Sweet 'n Sassy Dream Big
• Paper: Papertrey Ink Summer Sunrise
• Ink: Versamark
• Accessories: detailed gold embossing powder, Washi Tape by Sweet Bella (I wrapped the edges of my second layer in Washi tape), gold cord

Dynamic Duos: Big HUGS from Big Tweet

This week's color challenge at Dynamic Duos is the Bold & Sassy combination of Rich Razzleberry and Old Olive.  I decided to stretch my comfort zone and take the "sassy" part of the challenge very seriously...

Isn't that guy absolutely charming?  I named him "Big Tweet!"  This came about because I won a set of stamps from The Alley Way Stamps.  Of course, I won one set but I managed to buy four others...funny how that works!! 

There is quite a variety of inspiration from the various members of the design team - this color combo can go SO many different ways!!  Check everybody out, then pull out your Razzleberry and Olive (or something close) and head back to  Dynamic Duos to post you card - we would LOVE to see what you come up with!

The Dynamic Duos Challenge Blog

Allisa Chilton

Anne Marie Hile

Anika Lerche

Bronwyn Eastley

Kim Singdahlsen

Lesley Croghan

Lisa Elton

Melissa Chipperfield

Paige Grabau

Sue Joyce

Remember the basic rules...1) Don't link to any other color challenges and 2) use ONLY these two colors + neutrals.

• Stamps: The Alley Way Stamps Priceless Joy (the bird and "tweet"), Talk to Me (the speech bubble and "big") and Jibber Jabber ("hugs")
• Paper: Stampin' Up Old Olive CS and Rich Razzleberry dsp and CS
• Ink: black, Old Olive and Versamark
• Accessories: white pen, Cuttlebug polka dot embossing, misc twine, cloud and scallop dies, Black Enamel Accents (his eyes with a little white dot)